The Gumbo Shop Surprise

24042007

It’s a couple of months after Mardi Gras, but in honor of New Orleans cuisine, Dave’s Cheap Eats will take you to our neighbor to the south for some wonderfully delicious, and cheap, Cajun style food. No, I’m not talking about New Orleans, I’m talking about the southern city of Rock Hill and The Gumbo Shop.

This little piece of suburbia is an ethnic diners delight with Nacho Mama’s Mexican restaurant and Café Brasil joining the Gumbo Shop at the intersection of Rock Hill Rd and Manchester Blvd. Before you and all your buddies make the trek, a word of warning, seating is scant! There are only about five or six tables and about fifteen or twenty chairs. Most people coming in had called ahead for take out, but as you will see soon, that causes you to miss some of the best part about little family run restaurants.

Ok, on with the food. There are lots of great cheap dishes at The Gumbo Shop. While a King’s Platter with shrimp, oyster, catfish, jambalaya, gumbo, and fries will set you back $18, you can also get 18 dishes for under $10. Some of the more unusual items are Frog Legs with Jambalaya ($8.99), Crayfish Etouffe ($9.99), and a White Ruffy (a type of catfish, I think) Po Boy($8.99). These unusual entrees complemented the giant crabs and an alligator skull that adorned the little restaurant. We placed our order at the counter for a large bowl of gumbo ($6.99) filled with sausage, shrimp and rice, an oversized shrimp po boy ($8.99), and a side of fries($1.50) just in case the food was too spicy for the kids. By the time our little girl had made friends with the toddler in line and our older kids had discovered the condiment holder was actually a boat, the food, served in Styrofoam bowls and wax paper, was on the table. One bite of the po boy and gumbo sent us back to New Orleans! It was spicy, but not overwhelming, hot, but not burning. It was cheap, but there was more. The shrimp were huge, plus they were fresh breaded! This wasn’t Mrs. Paul’s or Captain D’s, the shrimp where what your Cajun Grandma would have made, if you had a Cajun Grandma. Just as I was sopping up the last of my gumbo with a big piece of French bread, the owner came out with a big ol’ tray of fresh crayfish and asked if we would like some. This wasn’t just a couple on a plate this was a couple dozen on a tray!

How much did it cost?

Nothing!

He just bought it over to us since we were there-you can’t beat that! We were cracking and sucking fresh crayfish till our hearts were content and bellies were full! While I can’t guarantee you a free platter of fresh crayfish, I can guarantee you a filling and cheap meal of great Cajun food at The Gumbo Shop!